S. Korea to ban gatherings of 5 or more outside Seoul

Jul 19, 2021, 09:06 am

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Gimpo International Airport in Western Seoul is packed with travelers on July 8, 2021./ Source: Yonhap

AsiaToday reporter Park Ah-ram

The government has decided to expand its ban on private gatherings of five or more people nationwide starting Monday to curb the nationwide spread of the coronavirus. With the summer vacation season coming, the government aims to curb the spread of the virus in non-metropolitan areas with concerns about a possible “balloon effect,” where stricter social distancing rules in the capital area lead to spikes in other areas with less stringent curbs.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 1,454 daily new cases for Saturday, raising the country’s accumulated caseload to 177,951. The daily tally stayed above 1,000 mark for 12 straight days despite fewer tests over the weekend.

The fourth wave of infections, which began in earnest in the metropolitan area, is now sweeping the country. Of the new cases detected throughout Saturday, 1,402 were local transmissions and 52 were from overseas. By region, the greater metro area accounted for 68.4 percent of domestic cases, including 515 in Seoul, 363 in Gyeonggi Province, and 81 in Incheon. Other parts of the nation added 443. The number of infections in non-metropolitan areas surged to 31.6 percent of local cases from 22.1 percent recorded July 9.

Over the past week, the average number of daily cases came to 1,348.7, up 356.4 cases from a week earlier. In particular, the average number of daily new infections in the metropolitan area came to 990.4, up 191.4 cases from a week earlier, and 358.3 in the non-metropolitan areas, up 164.9 cases from a week earlier.

While most regions have been under social distancing Level 2, the ceiling of the number of participants in private gatherings varied by region, with some allowing gatherings of up to four, while others permitting as many as eight people. Many pointed out that the complicated measures may lead to public confusion.

In response, the health authorities decided to toughen the antivirus scheme nationwide. From Monday, private gatherings of five or more people will be banned all across the country. The measure will be effective for two weeks until Aug. 1.

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